Do you want to sell your junk car and get the best deal possible? Of course you do, so it’s vital you take the best course of action to ensure you don’t get scammed. Take a look at these 5 tips to help you avoid working with a fabricated company that is out to take your car without payment and instead, work with one that gives cash for junk cars.

Select a licensed salvage yard.

When selling your junk car, it’s best to choose a licensed junkyard for a variety of reasons. Not only will this give you peace of mind that your car will be recycled in an environmentally sound way, you’ll also eliminate the middle man, which means you will walk away with more money. In addition, licensed salvage yards complete the required paperwork for you to streamline the process; you just need to make sure you sign your title and put the name of whom you are selling the car to on the title.

Get more than one quote.

Get online or go to junkyards to get quotes on the value of your car. Find out if the junkyard offers free towing, how soon they can pick up the car, and if they are flexible and willing to work with your schedule. Whether you are holding out for a 2017 Jeep Compass with a plethora of goodies or happy with a 1990 Chevy Camaro, you need to collect cash based on the value of your car so you can put it towards your next vehicle.

Sell to the junkyard, not a towing business.

You have some options for getting rid of an old car. One is selling to the towing company. When you sell your car to the towing company, you are adding at extra step and a middleman — this adds time to the process and cuts into your profit. Eliminate the middleman so you don’t have to pay the towing company a fee. Keep in mind most junkyards won’t charge you to tow your vehicle away.

Request payment at the time of sale.

It’s not smart to surrender your car and title without collecting payment.

Some scam artists will promise to pay for your car at a later date and never follow through with delivering payment.

You should receive payment at the time of transaction and should be paid in full.

At the time of pickup, don’t let a business talk you down to an amount lower than what they initially quoted.

Check online to see reviews about the company.

Get online and take advantage of Yelp reviews – see what people have to say about their experiences with the company to help you determine if you want to do business with them. Watch for reviews that look fishy, such as ones that may be written by a competitor who wants to bash the company to get its business. Legitimate businesses will likely have a company page on Facebook and other social platforms. Visit the businesses website; you should have no trouble finding contact information so you can reach out to the business, too.

It’s not always easy to know who you are working with which is why you need to take the steps to make sure you choose a company that will pay you top dollar, provide you with excellent customer service, and ensure your experience is the best it can possibly be.